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Drake and Future: The MVPs of 2015??

Rappers thrive off momentum. For some, it comes and goes, but others never truly lose it. In the case of Drake, the popular MC from Canada, momentum has never left, but seemingly gotten stronger as he has grown in the game. To many in the public, Drake would be seen as the top rapper in the game. He makes the most hits, garners a ton of headlines, and has a flawless sales record since his official debut album dropped in 2010. While he isn't necessarily the best lyricist(debatable), and doesn't make the best albums, he has managed to gain an extremely loyal fan base who keep him successful regardless. Going into 2015, Drake had a plan in mind. What that plan entailed would be very interesting.

Future has been prominent in the game for years now. Arriving officially in 2010 with his huge single "Tony Montana" and eventually gained some love in the streets with a slew of mixtapes. His first album "Pluto" saw moderate success and he managed to be a part of a ton of hits through the years. His 2013 album "Honest" seemingly turned some of his core fans away, despite the hits "Move That Dope" and "I Won". As 2014 was nearing its close, Future would regain his winning form with "Monster", a mixtape that spawned several hits and captivated the streets. As 2015 began, he had an extreme amount of momentum.

Future started off 2015 with "Beast Mode", a short mixtape that features some street hits like "Peacoat", "Real Sisters", and more. Beast Mode captivated his core audience and Future seemed to be on a run. First Monster, then Beast Mode, the question would be what could Future do next? He followed that up with his epic "56 Nights" mixtape, which gave us classics such as "Trap Niggas", "Never Gon Lose", "Purple Coming In", not to mention the massive banger "March Madness". While Monster and Beast Mode gained Future the streets back even more, 56 Nights was the solidifying of his mixtape trifecta. For Future, after Beast Mode and 56 Nights made him a front runner for 2015's MVP, he announced a project with Mike Will Made It titled "Ape Shit", and surprisingly released an actual album "Dirty Sprite 2(DS2)". DS2 would go on to hit no. 1 on the charts and continues to keep Future's momentum growing as that was his first no. 1 album. Future's breakup with Ciara also gained him headlines, as her relationship with Russell Wilson put Future in the hot seat so to speak. The year 2015 was a definite huge one for Future Hendrix.

For Drake, 2015 kicked off with his official album/mixtape in early February titled "If You're Reading This Its Too Late", which did huge numbers out the gate and is certified platinum, Drake's fourth project to do so. After seeing many of those songs on the album hit the charts, Drake announced his "Views From The 6" album to come in 2015 as well. He was eyeing a September release date. However, some Cash Money issues might halt those plans, but that still remains to be seen. Drake would do shows and tour for a while until running into a random beef with Meek Mill on Twitter, spawned of course from the set of late night angry tweets from Meek. Drake was accused of using ghostwriters, with a MC named Quentin Miller as the culprit for writing Drake's hits. Drake responded to the tweets with a song titled "Charged Up", a small diss warning shot to Meek, along with "Back to Back", his more focused and centered diss, that is currently a club favorite in some areas. Meek responded and exposed Drake for having ghostwriters officially, by providing us with proof, the reference tracks, and technically winning the beef if we are going off just facts and proof. However, Drake's disses were much more witty and Drake played it strategically, garnering him the victory in public opinion and pretty much gaining even MORE momentum(completely ignoring the Sauce Walka thing). That momentum has led him to make a hit out of what was essentially a remix to D.R.A.M.'s "Cha Cha" with "Hotline Bling". Drake's 2015 was already making him a front runner for the MVP as well. Not to mention his romance with Serena Williams has gained him some more headlines as well. 2015 for Drake has been marvelous, even in the face of controversy.

Now, let me just add: I don't think Drake and Future personally made the best music in 2015, nor do either have the best album of the year to me(Kendrick or ASAP Rocky does IMO), but what garners you the MVP award in music these days is sales, momentum, hits, hype, and consistency. With Drake and Future, they both have managed to bring both, despite not being liked by a good number of people. There lies the trick of today's fickle industry: there is no artist that really captivates every fan. While some may hate Drake and Future, and prefer a Kendrick or Cole, there are some who hate Kendrick and Cole, but love Drake and Future. Despite the lack of balance in the genre amongst fans, one thing that can't be denied is the run that both are currently on. Hits, sales, popularity, these all play a role in the determining factors. Now, Drake and Future each had a great year solo wise, now imagine if they combined for a project together?

Well, they just did. What A Time To Be Alive, their joint album just released Sunday and is expected to sell 500,000 copies the first week. This not only solidifies the run that both had this year, but only adds to their momentum. 2015 was the year of Drake and Future, whether you and I like it or not. They played the game perfectly and won big. We still have a few months left in 2015, but its safe to say that these two have made their mark enough to be crowned MVPs of the year. Now the question for these two is what's next? A tour? Will Views From The 6 be released? Ape Shit? Another Future album? Time shall tell.